Charlotte Residents Preview McColl Park Design Concepts

Charlotte Residents Preview McColl Park Design Concepts

Hood Design Studio presents ideas at community open house

The McColl Park Project Committee and Charlotte Center City Partners hosted a community open house on Thursday, January 18 at the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VAPA). The event featured the presentation of three unique design concepts for the future McColl Park, after which attendees had the opportunity to share their thoughts.

McColl Park, which will be located at the 1/3-acre space at the corner of Trade and Tryon (formerly Polk Park), is named for Hugh L. McColl Jr., a modern pioneer and philanthropist who served as the former Bank of America Chairman and CEO. The McColl Park project aims to transform the space into a functional, vibrant, and inspiring gathering place for all. Hood Design Studio and Bolton & Menk are partnering to design the park, with Hood Design Studio leading the design phase.

The open house was incredibly exciting for us,” said Walter Hood, creative director and founder of Hood Design Studio (HOOD), and the lead designer for McColl Park. “It provided the perfect platform for the community to get a first look at the design concepts we have crafted for McColl Park. Throughout this project, we have been deeply committed to getting input from the community. The thoughts they shared will help shape the final design.”

Originally from Charlotte, Hood is also the Chair and a Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a recipient of the 2019 Knight Foundation Public Spaces Fellowship, 2019 MacArthur Fellowship, and the 2021 United States Artists Fellowship, and was inducted into the Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2023. Among his projects are The Ancestors Garden at the International African American Museum (IAAM), Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park, the Oakland Museum of California, and the Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery in Winston-Salem.

In considering the public space at Trade and Tryon Streets, Charlotte’s Crossroads, the HOOD team began by looking to the history of the City – from Indigenous Peoples, The American Revolution and even the recent history of the park itself. These points in history were synthesized with the reality of this particular site in Charlotte – its need for flexibility and to appeal to a diversity of audiences. HOOD had conversations with focus groups, the greater community and the McColl Park Project Committee to conceptualize three approaches to the site. Each is artful in its approach – blurring the line between public art and site design to imbue the corner with a story of Charlotte’s past and a nod to the life and achievements of Hugh McColl, as well as his contributions to the City’s success.

“I believe that in order to make places artful, it is essential to create an environment where people can come and truly feel something. Our thought process in creating these design concepts for McColl Park centered around the idea of evoking emotions and creating a sense of connection.”

The three distinct design concepts include:

FLOATING NEST

The concept of the Floating Nest reflects Charlotte’s nickname “The Hornet’s Nest,” with history rooted in the American Revolution. Drawing inspiration from North Carolina’s forests and native trees, a series of elements are “nested” and suspended above the space, representing the community of Charlotte and the diversity of people coming together in Charlotte’s historic city center. Emerging from a grove of trees, The Floating Nest is reflected in a water mirror below. A waterwall anchors the southern edge of the park.

CROWN DATUM

The intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets is where two Native American trading paths met and is the highest point in the City at 751 feet above sea level. Central to the space and referencing this datum is a tall, thin spire that represents the historic and current center of Charlotte. To the east, a molded sculptural canopy frames the entrance to the adjacent building. Anchoring the southern edge of the space is a layered canopy of trees, serving as a shady place to sit, as well as to provide spring blooms.

VERDANT CROWN

A Crown marks the center of Charlotte – the “Queen City” named after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg. The Verdant Crown is made of an innovative material – aluminum foam – lightweight with many small holes that can be planted with local plants and vines. These sculptural forms and their plant life will reflect the seasonality and provide a frame for the spaces below. The Crown lands in a series of gardens and a reflecting pool with pathways throughout, creating a garden at the corner of Trade and Tryon.

“I am absolutely blown away by the incredible design concepts Walter Hood and Hood Design Studio have developed for McColl Park,” said Cyndee Patterson, former city councilwoman and co-chair of the McColl Park Project Committee, a private group of civic leaders raising funds for the project. “Their innovative and visionary approach aligns perfectly with the trailblazing man this park will honor. The committee’s most important role was to select the right designer for this project, and Walter and his team have exceeded our very high expectations.”

Michael Smith, president and CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners and McColl Park Project Committee member expressed his enthusiasm for the design work, highlighting its alignment with the Center City 2040 Vision Plan and the reimagining of Tryon Street. “The team at Hood Design Studio has done an incredible job capturing the spirit of the future McColl Park. We are also grateful to the Charlotte community for their valuable input throughout this process,” said Smith.

To stay updated on the progress of McColl Park and for more information, please visit the project’s official website at https://www.mccollpark.org

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